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Thursday, January 31, 2008

USS Houston POW Ship

An Army Air Corps veteran describes his bombing run on the Japanese ship that held POWs from the USS Houston.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Rock Hard the rockumentary

A rocumentary from a school in NJ. A rock band forms and then falls apart. Some former members join the armed forces.

The Justices and More

Tom: Well, you have surpassed my reading level now. I have to congratulate you. As I did in those days when you left the pond creek swamps for Navy OCS - I have again placed you on a pedestal of achievement to which I can aspire. (Vic)

Just finished two rather short books, that turned out to be unintentional companion volumes-The Supreme Court-Personalities and Rivalries that Defined America, and All The Laws But One by the late Chief Justice Wm Rehnquist. The former was not an exhaustive study of the court, but rather several parings of justices and differing "judicial temperaments" over the
history of the Republic. For example, John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson; John Marshall Harlan and Oliver Wendell Holmes; Hugo Black and William O. Douglas; William Rehnquist and Antonia Scalia.
The latter was a study by Rehnquist of the attempts on the part of the Federal Gov't to suspend civil liberties in times of war, especially the writ of habeas corpus. Reviews the Civil War, World War 1, WW 2, especially the internment of Japanese Americans on the West Coast.
This was written in 1998. Would be interesting if Rehnquist were still with us to get his take on the Bush efforts in the post 9-11 world. It truth, O W Holmes was correct when he rather cynically said: "The Law is what we say that it is.!" Vic, the more I learn, the more I realize how little I actually know.

Oh well, on to my study of the Constitution-where I may actually read it in its entirety for the first time. I fear that I will be camped out here for the "duration." (Tom Richarme)

Friday, January 18, 2008

Sex and the Single Tiger

Tiger sex is what causes a growing population of little tigers that become big tigers having more tiger sex. Thus it seems castration is an animal husbandry technique that is being employed more in the zoo environment. This video is not for the squeamish. It is factual and presented plainly. It can be an education for some.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

RE: suggested reading material

Amazing! Thanks, Tom. I need to blog this in book reviews. vic
Just finished David McCullough's Path Between the Seas-the building of the Panama Canal; Damn, but McCullough is a good author as well as historian. Really an interesting read. I have always wanted to steam through the canal-maybe after retirement.!
This book reminded me that I knew next to nothing about TR, so I read Aida Donald's Lion In The White House. It was really a high level overview of TR's life-really more of a "TR light." I plan to purchase and read McCullough's Mornings On Horseback which should do TR more justice.
In the meantime, however, I am reading The Supreme Court-The Personalities and Rivalries That Defined America by Jeffrey Rosen-to be followed by America's Constitution by Akhil Reed Amar-it is a bit intimidating in size, but maybe at last I will actually understand the Electoral College.?

Monday, January 14, 2008

HOLLER to the TROOPS from SCCC

Sussex County Community College sends a HOLLER to the troops in the Middle East.  This aired on local cable and the web version is hoped to reach plenty of the troops who are at the tip of the spear.

HOLLER to the TROOPS from SCCC

Sussex County Community College sends a HOLLER to the troops in the Middle East.  This aired on local cable and the web version is hoped to reach plenty of the troops who are at the tip of the spear.